John Feehery: Speaking Engagements

Small Victories Can Lead to Big Change

Posted on May 5, 2009

Small Victories Add Up to Big Change

It was a small victory.A couple of Republicans won local elections in the Democratic bastion of Alexandria, Virginia.But it is a start.

Why did voters say they voted for the Republican?According to the Washington Post, the reasons varied.One said that they voted for the person, and not the party.Another thought that electing a Republican would give more balance to the City council, and perhaps inspire it to work in a bipartisan way.

I bet you some others wanted to get some Republicans in there to keep the Democrats honest.

Not a big victory, but it has some significance.

First, it is important to get good candidates who can inspire voters to vote for the person if they can’t vote for the party.

Second, the message of acting as a check on unbridled power can be powerful.It worked for Alexandria, and it can work in other Democratic bastions of power.

The American people have a deep distrust of politicians.This is especially true in places where one party rules.If you don’t to anybody who isn’t connected to the Daley machine what they really think of politicians in Chicago, you will get an earful.

So Republicans need to compete in those places, just as they must compete in the suburbs, and all over the country.

At first, they might not have big victories.They might not beat the mayors of Chicago, Boston or Los Angeles.But if they compete at the local level, they might just start turning the wheel in their favor, and who know?In a few years, they might start a movement that will bring real reform to America.